The present disclosure relates to flavoured vapour generating apparatus and electronic smoking apparatus, and more particularly to flavoured vapour generators of electronic smoking apparatus.
Electronic smoking apparatus such as electronic cigarettes are gaining increasing popularity and acceptance as a replacement of conventional paper based cigarettes.
An electronic cigarette typically includes a flavoured smoke generator and electronic circuitry which are housed in an elongate housing. The elongate housing is adapted for finger holding and comprises a mouth piece which defines an air passage way connecting the flavoured smoke generator to a user such that smoke flavoured vapour generated in response to a suction action by a user will be delivered to the user via the mouth piece.
The electronic circuitry typically comprises an electric heater which is to operate to heat up a medium which is soaked with a flavoured liquid. The medium is usually a liquid affinity medium or a liquid retention medium such as cotton or glass fibre. The flavoured liquid, also known as e-juice or e-liquid, is usually a solution comprising organic substances, such as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerine (VG), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) mixed with concentrated flavours, liquid nicotine concentrate, or a mixture thereof.
A flavoured smoke generator typically comprises a cartridge and an atomiser. A cartridge is usually a small plastic, glass or metal container with openings at each end which is adapted to serves as both a liquid reservoir holding the flavoured liquid and a mouthpiece. An atomizer is provided to cause vaporization of the flavoured liquid and typically contains a small heater filament and a wicking material which draws the flavoured liquid from the reservoir of the cartridge in contact or in close proximity to the heater filament. When the electronic cigarette operates, the heater filament will heat up the liquid soaked wicking material and flavoured smoke will be generated for delivery to a user.
When a cartridge and an atomizer are integrated, the resulting device is known as a cartomizer.
While there is no actual burning of paper or tobacco during operation of an electronic cigarette, overheating of a flavoured smoke generator may occur when there is no or insufficient flavoured liquid. Such overheating is adverse and may pose health consequences or complications which are yet unknown or unclear.